1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to print control apparatus and method and, more particularly, to print control apparatus and method to control a conveyance of a recording medium in accordance with a specified state.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, each of document processing apparatuses such as a word processor having a printer and the like has a keyboard 1, a display 2, a memory 3, a recorder 4, and the like as shown in FIGS. 8 to 12. A feed path of a recording medium in each of the above document processing apparatuses will be described hereinbelow.
The feed path of the recording medium in the document processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 8 is a type which is considered to be most general. The recording medium is inserted from an upper feed port 55a of the recorder 4 locating on the rear side of the display 2 and is delivered from an upper delivery port 55b on the front side of the upper feed port 55a.
According to the document processing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the recording medium is inserted from a rear feed port 55a of a recorder 4 locating on a rear side of a display 2 and is delivered from the upper delivery port 55b.
According to the document processing apparatus shown in FIG. 10, the recording medium is inserted from the upper feed port 55a of the recorder 4 locating on the front side of the display 2 and is delivered from the upper delivery port 55b.
According to the document processing apparatus shown in FIG. 11, the recording medium is inserted from the feed port 55a on the rear side of the apparatus and is delivered from the upper delivery port 55b of the apparatus on the front side of the display 2.
According to the document processing apparatus shown in FIG. 12, the recording medium is inserted from the feed port 55a on the front side of the apparatus, passes along the feed path under the keyboard 1, reaches the recorder 4 located on the rear side of the display 2, and is delivered from the rear delivery port 55b of the apparatus.
Among the above feed paths, however, there are many feed paths each having a curved feed path to curve the recording medium to a certain degree. There are a few feed paths each having a feed path which rectilinearly feeds the medium in the horizontal direction and is suitable for a rigid and thick recording medium, so that they are inconvenient. As shown in FIG. 12, even in the document processing apparatus having the feed path to rectilinearly feed the recording medium in the horizontal direction, in case of an apparatus such that a feed port of the recording medium is provided on the front side of the apparatus and the feed path is provided under the keyboard 1, it is difficult to set a recording medium of a small size, and it is necessary to provide a space under the keyboard 1. Therefore, the position of the keyboard 1 is high and an operating efficiency deteriorates, so that it is inconvenient.
From the drawbacks mentioned above, a document processing apparatus having a feed path shown in FIG. 2 is devised. A recording medium is inserted from the feed port 55a locating on the lower side of the display 2, passes along the feed path on the keyboard 1, reaches the recorder 4 locating on the rear side of the display 2, and is delivered from the delivery port 55b on the rear side of the apparatus.
As a method of setting the recording medium of the conventional apparatuses having the various feed paths mentioned above, a method of manually feeding the recording medium by-a platen knob or a method of automatically feeding the recording medium to a predetermined position when the recording medium is detected as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-329166 or 5-294027 is used.
In case of a construction in which the portion on the keyboard is used as a feed path of the recording medium as shown in FIG. 2, however, if the construction such that when the recording medium is detected, the recording medium is simply fed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-329166 or 5-294027 is used, when the recording medium is set during the execution of a process such as a document editing other than the printing or the like, the keyboard 1 cannot be depressed, so that it is inconvenient.
Further, a print menu is finished in a state in time which the recording medium is set in a recording apparatus, the recording medium remains on the keyboard 1. Unless the recording medium Is taken out, the keyboard 1 cannot be depressed, so that It is inconvenient. In case of a recording medium in which the platen knob to manually feed the recording medium is not equipped, the recording medium cannot be taken out from the recording apparatus, so that it is inconvenient.
Further, in case of an apparatus that adjusts the from the detection of the recording medium until the conveyance of the recording medium is adjusted in accordance with a degree of the user's skill as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 4-329166 or 5-294027, such a time has to be adjusted each time the user changes.